Can feeding machine



Oct. 20, 1931.

P. KRUSE CAN FEEDING MACHINE Filed Jan 5', 1927 2 Sheets-Shes! l By A itotneys,

P. KRUSE CAN FEEDING MACHINE Oct. 20 193 1..

' Filed Jan 5, 1 92 2 Sheets-She 2 INVENTOR By A liorneys,

Patented Oct. 20, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PETER KR'USE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO E. W. BLISS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE CAN FEEDING MACHINE Application filed January 5, 1927. Serial No. 159,064.

This invention relates to can feeding machines, and aims to provide certain improvements therein.

The invention is particularly directed to a construction of spacing and feeding mechanism for the cans, being designed to receive filled cans placed upon it in more or lessirregular order and space them accurately} apart, ready for delivery to other devices,

such as the feeding mechanism of an assembly machine designed to place the covers on the can either alone or in combination with a seamer which'is usually adapted to double seam the cover on the can.

To this end I provide a construction which is preferably rotary in its character, and preferably includes a rotating table upon which the cans are placed by hand or by other means. When so placed there is usu- 2 ally an irregular spacing between the cans and according to the present invention I provide means for engaging each can and moving it if necessary to a position where at the delivery point the can is accurately spaced 5 and timed to be delivered to the succeeding mechanism. In the preferred form of the invention such engaging means are in the form of rotary members, such as rollers, which by preference are each carried upon an in dependent support, and are positively moved to arrange the cans on the rotating table in accurate spaced relation. This is accomplished in the preferred form of the invention by a slow even movement of the spacing members, so that there is no tendency to spill the contents from the filled cans. The invention includes certain other features of construction which will hereinafter be more fully described.

Referring to the drawings, which show one embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a plan, partly in section, showing the invention as applied to a form of assembling and seaming machine.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2*2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view, showing the device provided by the present invention, partly in diametrical section, and partly in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section, taken on the line 44 in Fig. 3.

In illustrating the present invention I have shown it as applied to a double seaming machine of the type set forth in the patent to lVilson & Summer, No. 1,203,295, dated October 31, 1916, which is illustrated as having a screw feed, such as is set forth in the patent to Krummel & Taliaferro, No. 9313M, dated August 17, 1909. For these old devices may be substituted any mechanism for subsequently handling the filled cans after they have been accurately spaced and fed forward by the device provided by my invention.

As shown, however, the double seamer is indicated by the reference letter A, this double seamer having an assembling turret B which is provided with a holder for a stack of covers indicated at G, which covers are fed onto the assembling turret B and moved around to a point where they coincide with a can, such as D, which is being fed forward by a feeding mechanism E. This feeding mechanism may be of any known or desired construction, but is shown as a feed drum having a spiral rib F arranged on its periphery, this spiral rib having different degrees of pitch designed in the present instance to speed up the can, as set forth in the Krummel & Taliaferro patent. Usually such devices are provided with a control lever G which is connected to the feed knife or separator of the cover holder, so that the knife does not move to separate out a cover unless it is moved by the. can, such as D, which will register with the appropriate point on the assembling turret when the latter moves to the assembling position. By this mechanism if there is a failure in the feed of the can no cover is fed from the stack and the assem b-ling turret moves idly without carrying a cover with it.

The device provided by my invention is shown at the right of Fig. 1, and is indicated as a whole by the reference letter H. When in rotary form it comprises a table I which preferably moves in timed relation to the feed mechanism E. Cans are delivered to the table I by hand or by any other desired mechanism at a point approximately indicated by the can D. As the table rotates, the can is carried around radially within a guard rail J and if in contact with such rail may turn upon its own axis during a part or all of its travel to the delivery point of the spacing mechanism. Radially within the succession of cans are a series of spacers K which move with the table if the latter rotates, and are accurately interposed between each two cans, so that when any given can reaches the delivery point approximately at L, it is held between two rollers in accurately timed position for delivery. The guard rail J in the preferred construction engages the can at the delivery point quite closely, so that the latter is in fact held between three points, two of which are two adjacent rollers and the third the guard rail. hen once moved to such spaced and timed relation, it cannot escape but is accurately fed forward to whatever device is associated with the invention to receive the can.

Referring now to Fig. 3, it will be observed that the table I is shown as fixed to a hub M which below the table carries a worm wheel N driven by a worm O, which in turn is rotated by a shaft P having a bevelled pinion Q which meshes with a bevelled pinion R mounted on a shaft S which is driven in any suitable manner. The hub M is mounted to rotate upon a stationary shaft T which extends upwardly through the hub and at the top of the latter is a disk or spider U which carries a number of slotted plates V, each of which serves as a bearing for a pivoted arm "W, carrying at its lower end one of the spacing wheels K. The upper end of each of the arms W runs in a cam track X formed in a stationary cam Y which is fixed upon the stationary shaft T. For anti-friction purposes spherical rollers Z are carried by the arms, the wheels riding in the track or groove X.

By reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the cam track or groove is so designed that the separating wheels K are moved outwardly as the delivery point L is approximated, while after the wheel K has delivered its can, the cam then restores it to its normal position in which it moves idly until the receiving point is reached or nearly reached.

By preference a star wheel, such as A, is used at the delivery point, this wheel being timed to receive a can and move it along the table I in a tangential direction until it is engaged by the feed E. The star wheel is mounted on a shaft A rotating by a gear A which is driven by a pinion A rotated in any suitable manner.

The guard rail J is mounted upon a stationary part of the machine, as for instance upon brackets B which are fastened to the frame of the machine. The initial section of the guard rail is preferably spring-mounted, as by a bolt C passing through one of the brackets B, a spring E being interposed between the bracket and the rail. The remainder of the rail may be fixed in position by stationary bolts F passing through the brackets and locked in position by nuts G H.

In operation the filled cans are placed upon the table I at approximately the point indicated by the position of the can D or some point to the left of this can.

As the table rotates the can passes inside of the guard rail J and between the projecting portions of the peripheries of two of the wheels K. Should it happen that the can is brought into contact with the high point of one of the wheels, it will be forced over against the guard rail and rotated slightly, the guard rail yielding if necessary, and the can being permitted to easily move past the wheel which engages it by rotation of the wheel. The can, therefore, soon assumes a position where it lies between two of the wheels K. The precise relative position of the cans with regard to the wheels is negligible, since as the table rotates the wheels advance slowly toward the guard rail and gradually move the can in case this is necessary to a position in which the latter is in contact with the peripheries of two of the adjacent wheels. If it is necessary in order to reach this position that the can be displaced slightly with relation to the table, it will move forward or backward when in contact with the guard rail by a turning movement due to the fact that the guard rail is stationary; hence the can will roll along the guard rail until its properly spaced position is reached, the wheels K turning slightly on their axes so as to facilitate this rolling movement of the can. main in contact with the guard rail, its rolling movement will continue, but there will be no abrupt movements, such as are liable to spill the contents of the can. The result of this construction is that cans indiscriminately placed upon the table will be accurately spaced, usually by a slow turning movement, until they have reached theiir final spaced relation, at which time they are brought within the sphere of action of the star wheel or other device and moved on to the next succeeding mechanism, such as the feed illustrated.

While I have shown and described one form of the invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, since various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A device for feeding cans in spaced relation to a second mechanism acting subsequently on the cans, comprising a moving support upon which the cans are placed at one point for delivery to said second mech- Should the can reanism, and a spacing and control means moving at substantially the same rate of speed as said support, said means having separating and control members, means for projecting said members between adjacent cans to separate them, and said members being so constructed that two adjacent members will engage each can on opposite sides to control its movement to the point of delivery, whereby when the cans are brought within the sphere of action of said second mechanism they are positively held on two sides at the correct point of delivery, and means for retracting said members at the point of delivery so as to avoid interference with said second mechanism.

2. A device for feeding cans in spaced relation to a second mechanism acting subsequently on the cans, comprising a rotating support upon which cans are placed in indiscriminate relation at the feed point, and a spacing and controlling mechanism comprising a series of rollers movable around an endless path, means for moving said rollers radially outward to separate the cans, and said rollers being constructed to engage each of the cans on opposite sides so that each can is controlled as to forward and backward movement relatively to the support by said rollers, and atthe delivery point is held in proper position for delivery against such forward or backward movement.

3. A device for feeding cans in spaced relation to a second mechanism acting subsequently on the cans, comprising a rotating support upon which cans are placed in indiscriminate relation at the feed point, and a spacing and controlling mechanism comprising a series of rollers movable around an endless path, means for moving said rollers radially outward to separate the cans, and said rollers being constructed to engage each of the cans on opposite sides so that each can is controlled as to forward and backward movement relatively to the support by said rollers, and at the delivery point is held in proper position for delivery against such forward or backward movement, and means for retracting said rollers at the delivery point to avoid undue interference with the operation of said second mechanism.

4. A device for feeding cans in spaced relation to a second mechanism acting subsequently on the cans, comprising a rotating supporting table, a fixed guard around such rotating table, an endless series of rollers adapted to be projected outwardly to embrace each can and control them in spaced relation, means for moving said rollers outwardly and maintaining them in such positions, such means acting to cause said rollers to positively embrace each can between two rollers at a point which is substantially that of delivery of the can to said second mechanism whereby the positioning of each can with regard to said second mechanism is ac curately accomplished.

5. A device for feeding cans in spaced relation to a second mechanism acting subsequently on the cans, comprising a rotating supporting table, a fixed guard around such rotating table, an endless series of rollers adapted to be projected outwardly to embrace each can and control them in spaced relation, means for moving said rollers outwardly and maintaining them in such posi tions, such means acting to cause said rollers to positively embrace each can between two rollers at a point whichis substantially that of delivery of the can to said second mechanism whereby the positioning of each can with regard to said second mechanism is accurately accomplished, and means for retracting said rollers after delivery to said second mechanism so as to avoid substantial interference with the action of said second mechanism.

6. A device for feeding cans in spaced relation to a second mechanism acting subsequently on the cans, comprising a rotating supporting table, a fixed guard around such rotating table, an endless series of rollers adapted to be projected outwardly to embrace each can and control them in spaced relation, means for moving said rollers outwardly and maintaining them in such positions, such means acting to cause said rollers to positively embrace each can between two rollers at a point which is substantially that of delivery of the can to said second mechanism whereby the positioning of each can with regard to said second mechanism is accurately accomplished, and means for retracting said rollers after delivery to said second mechanism so as to avoid substantial interference with the action of said second mechanism, said means for advancing and retracting said rollers comprising a cam track, and arms upon which said rollers are respectively mounted, said arms being controlled as to movement by said cam track.

7. A device of the character described, comprising a rotating table, a guard arranged above said table, an initial section of said guard being spring-mounted, a series of wheel spacing devices arranged over said table, each of said devices being mounted upon a swinging arm, a carrier for said spacing devices adapted to rotate at the same angular speed as said table, pivotal connections between said 120 arms and said carrier, and a stationary cam mounted above said carrier and having a cam groove adapted to move said swinging arms, said cam groove being so disposed as to move said wheels outwardly during a cer- 125 tain part of the travel of said carrier.-

8. A device of the character described, comprising a support for receiving the cans, a series of separating devices each comprising a wheel adapted to be interposed between admy name.

PETER KRUSE. 

